#theboyzblurb

"Sorry, Kev, I guess I got too wrapped up in my piece," You chuckle, quickly closing your sketchbook and packing up your things so he wouldn't have to wait on you any longer. Tossing your bag over your shoulder, you jog up to Kevin and greet him. 

"How was your day?" You ask, taking out the lollipop you had stored in your pocket and unwrapping it before placing it in your mouth. 

"Raspberry this time?" He asks. "Also, today was okay before I shouted at my best friend so we could go home, but they ignored me and proceeded to doodle in their notebook. Let me just tell you, it made me feel like I was as worthless as the p in raspberry. What were you drawing that had you so engrossed, anyway?" 

Kevin pushed the school doors, and you made your way to his car as you recounted how much of a luxury it was that your best friend was also your neighbor. 

"You know, just someone," You mumble, putting on your seatbelt. 

"Someone? You don't normally draw people. Is your obsession with Lee Dongwook getting so extreme that you started drawing him?" Kevin giggles, thinking back to your avid Viki sessions of watching Goblin and Tale of the Nine-Tailed together. 

"No, I'm not that weird," You laugh, lightly shoving him to the side. 

"So, who is it?"

Your mind drifts back to yesterday, the day of the encounter. Sceneries: Forests, mountains, valleys. That was more of your expertise when it came to art, however, nothing was as scenic as the boy you met yesterday. 

Kim Sunwoo. Everyone knew him. Everyone wanted to date or be him, there was no in-between. You didn't think much about the kid before because your paths never clashed, not until yesterday. 

"Woah, I'm so sorry!" He said, his chest heaving from running from the direction of the soccer field. 

"Oh, you're fine!" You replied, picking up your sketchbook that fell out of your hands. You were just about to enter the art room, the safe haven where you would draw until Kevin was done with choir practice. 

"Y/N, right?" Sunwoo asked. You couldn't help but remember the shocked look on your face when he knew who you were. 

"Yeah, Y/N," You replied. 

"Y/N," He had repeated, this time with a small smile on his face. It was the most beautiful way you had ever heard your name said, to a point where you swore you heard it echoing in your head right now. 

"Y/N."

"Y/N."

“Y/N, we're here you weirdo, snap out of it," Kevin shrieked, smacking your arm to get you out of your daze. 

"Oh shit," You mumbled, realizing that you were no longer in the school parking lot and instead at your house. 

"You zoned out for like ten minutes after I asked you who you were drawing. Is everything okay? Are the paint fumes getting to your head?" He mocked. 

"No, just thinking. Anyway, you were right earlier. I wanted to try drawing people, so I was like go big or go home and started sketching Dongwook's face today," You reason. No one needed to know that the only thing running through your head was Kim Sunwoo on repeat, even when you saw him passing by the art room once again.

And that's how the next week passed. You continued your sketch of Sunwoo, trying your best to remember exactly what his face looked like up close. However, he continued to pass by the art room every day, just close enough for you to recognize the familiar tan skin and soccer uniform. Though you never made eye contact with him, you knew when he passed by, your eyes catching the movement across the room every time. 

"Aish," You groaned out, erasing his eyes for what felt like the fifteenth time that afternoon. 

"Everything alright in there?" You heard a familiar voice say, causing you to look up from the drawing. Upon seeing his face, you immediately close your sketchbook. 

"Sunwoo!" You exclaim, half in fear and half in genuine excitement. 

"The one and only," He laughs. "I heard you from outside, are you okay?"

There was worry in Sunwoo's voice, causing your heart to clench. "Yeah, I just suck at drawing," You chuckle. 

"Oh, I doubt that. You're always in here, so there must be some artistic bone in your body," He reassures you. 

You sit there in silence for a moment before Sunwoo's eyes widen, and he begins to shake his head from side to side. "Not that- not that I've been watching you or anything, I just like to pass by the art room now cause I always see you in here. Wait, that sounds weird. I don't just come to see you, but you're just always working really hard, and it's really admirable to see you and you look really nice when you draw. Not that you don't look nice any other time! But also the only time I've ever really seen you is in the art room, so I guess I really don't know what you look like any other time. Not that I wouldn't be opposed to it! I just-" Sunwoo heaves, letting out a heavy sigh before standing there with his head in his hands. 

"Sunwoo, calm down!" You giggle. "I mean, I noticed that you were passing by too, and I glance every time whether you notice it or not. The soccer uniform really suits you," You compliment. You could feel your heart beating out of your chest, his sudden outburst making you want to laugh and cry at the same time. 

"Oh, this?" He says, looking down at his jersey. "This is nothing, I would much rather be good at art than soccer."

"You? You're not just good at soccer, you're freaking great. I mean, you've been on varsity since freshman year," You exasperate. A small smile breaks out on Sunwoo's face once he hears a small fact of his life slip from your mouth. 

"Oh shit, speaking of soccer," Sunwoo mumbles, glancing at the clock that was inside the art teacher's room. "I gotta go. I forgot that break was only five minutes. It was really fun talking to you Y/N. Good luck with your drawing!" 

Before you could even say goodbye back, he ran back to the direction he came from.

"Was that Kim Sunwoo?" Kevin says, appearing in front of the doorway from out of nowhere. 

"Don't ask," You breathe out, still breathless from the interaction you just had. "Did choir practice end early today?"

"Yeah, you know Jacob Bae?"

"Brown hair, super cute, part of the basketball team?" You ask, wondering if he was talking about the same guy that was in your calculus class. As you await his answer, you pack up your supplies for the day, leaving the portrait of Sunwoo incomplete for yet another day. 

"Super cute? That man is like jacked. I fell in love with him as soon as he walked into the room. Anyways, apparently, the choir teacher has been trying to recruit him for like two years, and he finally came by to audition. Mr. Lee kicked us out right away and told us we were done for the day.”

"Oh my god, I hope he joins! Maybe you could finally get a boyfriend," You tease, making your way towards Kevin's car. 

"Yeah, well, you aren't much better, sketching Dongwook’s face for the past two weeks."

"Right, Dongwook," You mutter. 

It was truly ironic that the amount of time Kevin thought you were thinking about the famous Korean actor, Lee Dongwook, was actually devoted to Sunwoo. Even after talking to him daily when he passed by the art room, you were still just as enamored by him. 

"Long time no see," Sunwoo smiles, swinging his body across the doorframe. 

"You're right," You look up to see the familiar face that you had quickly grown to love. "It's been a very long 24 hours."

“And how is my favorite artist doing?” Sunwoo asks, making his way over to you. You admire the soccer player, slight sweat beading against his forehead, and his face flushed from the heat outside. 

“You know, you’re not supposed to be in here without Mrs. Park’s permission,” You say, knowing that if the teacher found him in here, he would get in trouble. You wait for a witty response back, but you soon find Sunwoo squinting past your shoulder and looking at something. 

"I- Is that me?" Sunwoo whispers. 

Your head whips back to the sketchbook that you had forgotten to close, Sunwoo’s half-colored face on display for him to see. You shoot up from your chair, hoping that you could somehow fix this, but as you stand up, Sunwoo takes a seat next to the drawing, moving the sketchbook closer so he could examine it. 

"I mean," You strain, wanting to burst into tears right then and there. You were finally getting to know Sunwoo and becoming friends with him, and now he was going to think you were a creep, an absolute loser. "I mean yes, but it's not done yet. I still have to color like half your face. Don't be weirded out, please. I don't really draw people, but when I saw you, I thought I just had to. I'm sorry if you think it's weird, I'll scrap it. I promise," You ramble. 

You glance at Sunwoo from the corner of your eye, but he continues to look at the sketch you made of him. You couldn't tell how he felt from his reaction, the only expression he was making was a look of ponderance. 

"I- You know what," You begin to say, getting up from your seat and reaching for the sketchbook. You pull at the perforation of the page, beginning to tear it out. "I'll actually just get rid of it. It's weird, and I'm really sorry-"

Sunwoo grabs your hand before you can tear it off completely, an exclamation leaving his mouth. "No!"

"What?" You whisper underneath your breath. 

"I love it. You're really talented Y/N," He looks up at you from underneath his eyelashes. A soft smile played on his lips. 

"But, isn't it weird?" You ask, confusion laced in your words. 

"I mean, I passed by the art room every day for three weeks just so I could look at you for a little bit. Every time I passed by, I debated with myself on whether or not I should ask you out. If anyone's the weird one, it's me," He confesses.

The room is silent for a few more seconds, your brain whirring at what felt like a million miles per hour. 

“I didn’t think anyone saw me like this,” Sunwoo says, a soft smile on his face as he traces his drawn eyes with his fingers. 

“What do you mean?” You whisper. “Everyone sees you like that.”

“Not like,” Sunwoo breaths out, his eyes glimmering with something you couldn’t quite place. “Not like this.” 

“Do you think, I don’t know, maybe you’d wanna see me outside of this place? Cause I really fucking like you, and I hope you do too considering you drew me like I hung the stars in the sky,” Sunwoo says, turning to face you. 

You break out into a wide smile, relief flushing through you. 

“Silly, you couldn’t have hung the stars in the sky,” You sigh, reaching down and brushing the hair that was covering his eyes out of the way. “They’re all in your eyes.”

Sunwoo lets out a breathy laugh at the cheesy line before closing the sketchbook and placing it underneath his arm. No matter how hard he denied it though, a light blush littered his cheeks. 

“C’mon, we’re skipping soccer practice,” Sunwoo holds onto your hand and drags you out of the room while you struggle to get your backpack and throw it over your shoulder in time. 

“Sunwoo!” You laugh, trailing behind him as he pulled you all the way outside of the school and to your first unofficial, official date. 

The local art museum. 

-

“What the fuck?” Kevin mutters, finding an empty art room with colored pencils scattered where you would usually sit. 

“Maybe they were drawing so hard that they turned into the colored pencils,” Jacob says, peeking into the room. 

“They probably went out with Sunwoo, I had a feeling something was up with them anyway. They tried to convince me they were drawing Dongwook from Goblin, but I don’t think they know that I look at their sketchbook when they get snacks at their house,” Kevin shrugs.

“Dongwook? What an attractive man,” Jacob mumbles, staring into space.

“But not as hot as me, right?” Kevin jokes, turning back around to leave. He was excited to introduce you to Jacob, but it seems like there was something else on fate’s agenda.

“Oh, never. Actually, since Y/N is busy with their lover, want to go to this coffee place I really like? It’s on me,” Jacob says, throwing a wink in Kevin's direction. 

“What? No, I couldn’t do that,” Kevin refuses, a blush overtaking his face. 

“Nonsense, it’s a date,” Jacob affirms, dragging Kevin out of the very doors Sunwoo pulled Y/N earlier. 

“So, you see,” You squeamishly begin, moving away so you weren’t guarding the door anymore. Sunwoo’s eyes travel down towards what you were holding, and if it had been possible, you were sure his eyes would’ve widened even more after he saw you jiggling the doorknob that opened to no avail. 

“Let me try,” Sunwoo pleads, gripping the doorknob that was once in your hands and shaking vigorously. 

Losing all hope, you sit down on the shabby, wooden floors of the haunted house you were currently in and take a look around, hoping no other jump scares awaited. “Sunwoo, I think you should just give up.”

As soon as Sunwoo lets go of the doorknob in defeat, a familiar voice calls out from the other end. 

“Hey! Sunwoo, Y/N, can you hear me? Are you guys there?” Haknyeon shouts on the other end, lightly banging on the door to get your attention. 

“Haknyeon! Haknyeon! We’re in here! We’re stuck though, the door won’t budge.” Evident fear ran through Sunwoo’s voice, and you couldn’t help but feel bad for the guy that was in the room with you. Even if you didn’t have a huge, colossal crush on him, you would still feel bad that he was stuck in one of his worst fears. 

“Stay where you are, we’re getting help!” Before Sunwoo can say anything else, you hear Haknyeon’s boots clamp away from the door and out of hearing range. 

“Great,” Sunwoo mutters, taking a seat next to you. “I’m done for. The zombie that was two doors down is going to eat me for dinner.”

You can’t help but laugh at Sunwoo’s dramatics, but you quickly stop when he glares at you.

“Hey, think about it this way,” You say, putting a hand on his shoulder for comfort. “Aren’t you grateful that you’re at least stuck with me? Imagine getting stuck with Eric. He would’ve been crying by now.”

Your attempt to reassure Sunwoo only causes another glare to be thrown at you, but his tough demeanor doesn’t last long before you guys hear a loud crash come from a few feet away. 

Sunwoo flinches at the sound, immediately reaching for the first thing he could, which happened to be your hand that wasn’t on his shoulder. “Holy shit! What was that?” 

“Sun,” You pause, taking your other hand off his shoulder and putting it on top of his hand that was clutching yours. “That was the same exact noises we heard earlier. You know, the one’s they play over the speakers to scare the people in the haunted house?”

Even in the darkness of the room, you could see Sunwoo’s cheeks become littered in a soft pink. “Right, I knew that.”

“You’re more than welcome to keep holding my hand though,” You tease, noticing that he hadn’t let go. You hear Sunwoo lightly curse under his breath, but much to your joy, he keeps his hand in your grasp. 

“Well, since I’ve embarrassed myself enough in here,” Sunwoo lets out a shaky breath before continuing. “If we die in here, I just wanted to let you know that you’re really pretty, and I really, really regret not taking Eric’s advice on asking you out earlier.”

You feel your heart skip a beat at the sudden confession, but when you look back at Sunwoo to see if he was being serious, he avoided your gaze and played with the fake spider webs that littered the floor. 

“Earlier?” You question. “So, if we get out of here, then will you take me on a date?”

Sunwoo whips his head to look at you, his mouth slightly agape at your adherence to his words. You squeeze his hand in reassurance, which remained intertwined with yours. 

Before he has a chance to respond, both of your eyes are drawn to the sudden toggling of a key inside the cursed doorknob. 

“Dang, I was pretty content staying in here with you,” Sunwoo sighs, letting go of your hand to get up and brush off the spider webs and dust that resided on his pants. 

You let out a laugh before he offers his hand to help you get up. You gratefully take it, appeased by the fact that even after you stand up, your hand was still in his. 

“Oh my gosh, I was so worried!” Eric screeches, moving the man who fixed the doorknob out of the way. He wraps his arms around the two of you, one around Sunwoo and the other around you. 

“There, there buddy,” Sunwoo consoles, lighting stroking his back until he lets go. “We were fine. In fact, I think haunted houses might be one of my favorites places now.” Sunwoo throws a discrete wink in your direction, causing you to playfully punch his shoulder with your unoccupied hand.

You were there through it all, watching him slowly fall apart and then slowly put himself back together with the help of his group mates, and eventually, he overcame the heartbreak. 

There was one good thing that came from the heartbreak, however, and that was the newly bloomed relationship between the two of you. Jacob saw it coming first, constantly teasing the two of you at the dorms until Kevin blatantly came out and confessed his feelings for you. Ever since then, there was constant complaining about what seemed to be the never-ending honeymoon phase but knowing that you guys were perfect together, the group loved seeing you two together.

That’s why you were shocked when you decided to surprise Kevin at the dance studio, at the request of Sangyeon who stated that Kevin seemed to be off, but came face-to-face with him talking to the one person you thought you would never see again. 

Eric noticed you first, a widening of his eyes seen in your peripheral vision as he nudged Juyeon’s eyes in your direction. 

“Y/N!” Haknyeon strains, not necessarily calling out for you but saying your name so Kevin noticed you were there. 

Kevin’s eyes snap up to meet yours, a quick flash of fear lighting up his eyes before he backs away from the girl next to him and shuffles his feet against the floor to make his way towards you.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” He softly asks, taking your free hand in his, rubbing your hand in soothing circles.

You shake your head, snapping out of a trance that seemed to overcome you as you stared at the girl. “I- Sangyeon, he told me to come bring lunch and eat with you guys but it seems like you guys are busy so here,” You shove the bag from his favorite sushi place towards him, not letting even a minute go by before you let go of the bag and turn on your heel. 

You rush out the door, not bothering to glance at Kevin again and retracing the steps that you excitedly walked on your way here. You heard Kevin call behind you and soon you feel a hand clasp around your wrist and turn you around. 

“Woah- wait,” Kevin says, his eyes searching your face for any sort of emotion, however, you remained stoic, not letting your guard down. “I can explain.”

It was like those three words triggered something in you, causing you to attempt to pull your hand away from Kevin’s grip but he refused to let go as if the gesture meant something more than just wanting to pull away from him. “Explain? Kevin how can you possibly explain what my ex-best friend who just so happens to be your ex-girlfriend was doing at your practice. Are you forgetting something cause I vividly remember what happened.”

Flashes played in your head of Kevin crying to you on the phone, repeatedly asking what was wrong with him and how he could be better. It was the previous relationship that had you so strict on telling each other everything, but it seemed like he was on a different page than you.

“Just tell me this,” You begin, your eyes blazing with what could have been anger or hurt or maybe even both. “Did you know she was coming or did she show up on her own?”

“I-” Kevin begins, his words failing himself as he realizes that there was no way he could be in the right here. “I knew she was coming, she told me last night.”

You think about this morning, how Kevin blamed his antsy demeanor on what would be a difficult practice session today, realizing that he had the opportunity to tell you yet he didn’t. 

“Right,” You mutter, tugging your hand out of Kevin’s grasp and disregarding his attempts to make you stay and listen. 

-

It took approximately three minutes after you arrived at your apartment until your phone flooded with texts. 

SANGyeon: I didn’t know she was coming, I am so sorry

jacob bae(con): Hey, text me if you need anything. Also, Haknyeon and Eric keep bugging me telling me they’re sorry but they also said they’re not sure what for

jacob bae(con): Whatever is happening, I know you guys can overcome it :) He didn’t tell us exactly what happened with the heathen but I’m sure there was a reason she was there

kebbie <3: can I come over once practice is over? please, I need to explain baby

kebbie <3: i have to get off the phone, we need to practice but please text me.

kebbie <3: i’ll be waiting

And he did wait, he waited for approximately two days until Eric couldn’t take any more of his seclusion and sadness, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. 

“Oh wow, you actually picked up,” Eric gasps on the other end of the line, in genuine disbelief. 

“Eric, this is the only time I got a call from you,” You question, knowing what he was up to. You knew deep down that you missed Kevin, no matter how hard it was to admit it. The small push you needed to see Kevin in person and have him explain to you what happened was nowhere to be seen as Sangyeon and Jacob decided that space was best for you but thankfully, Eric Sohn was your saving grace. 

“I know, but you won’t answer Kevin’s calls so I didn’t know if you would respond to me,” Eric takes a deep breath as if he was the one who was currently in an argument with their significant other, causing you to roll your eyes. “Anyways, can you please come over cause Kevin barely leaves his room and he has eaten one bagel in the two days you haven’t been talking to him and it’s genuinely bumming me out.”

You scoff at Eric’s story, shaking your head lightly at the maknae’s words. “I’m so sorry this has been such a big burden to you, Eric. Also, did you say he hasn’t been eating?”

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be carb loading him though? For the comeback?”

“I’ll see you in thirty?” Eric questions, knowing that his deed was done. No matter how mad you could have been, Eric knew that you cared for Kevin more than anybody he knew.

“See you in thirty,” You affirmed. 

Thirty minutes turned out to be more like fifteen with you speeding down to go see Kevin. You were still upset with him, but that didn’t mean you weren’t longing to see him. 

“Oh thank God,” Jacob sighs out when he opens the dorm doors. You take off the mask that was covering your face and pull down the hoodie that you were wearing, which belonged to Kevin, and waved at Jacob. 

When Eric spots you, he gleefully jumps from his spot on the couch and runs up to you. “Have you been crying?” He asks.

“Gee Eric, thanks,” You mutter, rolling your eyes. The last two days were hard to get through and you weren’t going to lie and say a few or more tears didn’t slip from your eyes when you hugged your pillow at night. 

“Anytime, he’s in his room by the way,” Eric nonchalantly says, dismissing any offense you could’ve taken from his comment. 

Gathering your courage, you make your way to Kevin’s room, but you can’t help but stay frozen in position at the front of his door. Taking one last deep breath, you finally knock on his door.

Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of its chest with the way it was pounding right now but it slowed down a little when you heard a soft “come in” on the other end. 

When you enter, Kevin is laying on his bed, his back facing the door. Your heart drops to your chest when he finally looks over his shoulder to see who entered the room. 

“Y/N,” He mumbles underneath his breath, scrambling to get up from his earlier position. He rubs at his eyes tiredly and you frown at his appearance. 

“I’m sorry, I’m a mess,” He dryly chuckles as he gets up to smooth out the cover of his sheets, as if you cared about the tidiness of his bed. 

“Kev, it’s ok, I just came to talk,” You softly say. 

The thing was, you knew Kevin, and you knew him well. Kevin would never admit it, but when he’s sad, he’s fragile, and the last thing you ever wanted to do was break him, not like she did. 

“Yeah, talk, I can do that,” Kevin says mainly to himself before sitting back down on the bed and patting the spot next to him for you to sit at. 

You take a seat on the bed, sitting close enough so he would understand you weren’t mad at him but far enough so he knew you were upset. 

“I heard you haven’t been eating very well,” You start off, not wanting to rush Kevin into talking about anything. 

“Haven’t been hungry,” He mutters underneath his breath, staring at his clasped hands in his lap. “All I could think about was you.”

“I think I’m ready to hear what happened,” You say, preparing yourself for whatever could have possibly happened the day at the dance studio. 

Kevin hesitates before taking a few seconds to himself to gather his thoughts before explaining the story. 

“That night she texted me, she told me that she wanted to apologize to me and I know,” Kevin takes a deep breath before continuing. “I know I didn’t owe her anything but something told me to just see what she had to say and that day at the studio, she told me that she was dating this guy and at first I thought she came to just rub it into my face so I told her to leave but then she told me that he ended up cheating on her.”

You reach across to take one of Kevin’s shaking hands in yours, rubbing soothing circles against it. Talking about her evidently brought up bad memories for him, and you understood why he did what he did. 

He had always been a good person, a heart too big for his body. It would’ve been unlike him if he just brushed off the text he got from her. 

“She apologized for the whole thing and that she felt like it was karma for treating me the way she did. She also told me that she missed you and that she was sorry. That was right before you came in,” Kevin explains.

It was silent for a while, you trying to wrap your head what he had just told you but Kevin must have mistook your silence for something else because he soon started to speak again, letting out his next few words like they were a secret. 

“You know, after you left, I told her I forgave her because, in the end, it brought me to you. I’d go through what happened a hundred times again if it meant I got to have you in the end, I know you might still be angry at me, but I just feel like I had to tell you that.”

You immediately softened after Kevin’s confession, resisting the urge from not explaining your side of the story and simply kissing him so he could understand just how much you loved him. 

“Kevin,” You begin. “I was never angry at you. I was just upset because hiding things isn’t like us. I thought we told each other everything and I just expected you to tell me this too, especially since she texted you.” You explain, sighing. 

“I know, it was dumb of me to keep this from you, but I know you don’t like it when she’s brought up so I thought that I would just see what she wants on my own.”

“You never have to do anything on your own, Kevin. It’s us till the end,” You softly smile, pushing yourself a little closer to him so you could wrap your arms around his stomach and put your head to his chest. 

“Yeah, us till the end,” Kevin whispers, placing a kiss on the top of your head.

The answer had been yes but as you were on the plane to Jeju Island with Haknyeon by your side, your leg wouldn’t stop shaking and the butterflies in your stomach swirled at a faster pace than you expected. 

“It’s odd right?” You asked Kevin over the phone, three days ago, as you were regretting your life decisions. “It’s odd to invite your friend slash something more yet not your girlfriend to your farm in Jeju to meet your mom?”

Kevin had chuckled on the other end, biting into a carrot as Changmin screamed at Sunwoo in the background about misplacing his shoes. “It’s a bit odd considering not many of us have seen where he was brought up but I’m like 99% sure he’s in love with you so what did you expect?”

The words lingered in your head as you got off the plane and as you drove in the taxi to Haknyeon’s farm and even when you prepared to meet his mom. 

If you were strictly his friend or girlfriend, it would’ve made sense for you to visit his hometown, however, you were in a weird limbo of somewhere in between and had been like that for at least a month. It was the same routine that began one day when Haknyeon slept over at your apartment, something he did when he didn’t have a schedule early the next morning. He had called your name out to ask if you were sleeping but it was nearly impossible when your heart was beating erratically at the proximity of Haknyeon which was how his heart was as well whenever he was near you.

“Y/N,” He asked one more time when you didn’t respond the first time. This time you hummed back, wondering what he wanted at nearly three in the morning. Most nights you had your emotional talks earlier, reserving anything later than midnight for sleep, or pretending to be asleep in your case. When you felt a hand on your shoulder, you turned around only to be met with Haknyeon’s lips colliding into yours.

You never strayed any further, kissing each other only in the depths of the night when it felt like no one was awake but the two of you. You waited for Haknyeon to say anything to indicate that he wanted to be something more, but he never did, so you never did either, because then that would be weird. Right?

Kevin’s words struck you the wrong way because if Haknyeon loved you, as in if Haknyeon felt the same way you did, he had a bad way of showing it. The only indication he had made of wanting you as more than a friend would be the secret kisses you shared in the dark with him. 

“I’ve heard so much about you!” Haknyeon’s mother said, excitedly taking the flowers out of your hand that you had bought for her. No matter how confused and irritated Haknyeon’s mixed emotions made you, that didn’t mean you would show up empty-handed to his mother’s house. 

She’s heard so much about me? You questioned, however, you didn’t have much time to ponder upon it because she soon dragged you into the kitchen to show you what she prepared for dinner.

She talked nonstop that night. It was fun hearing childhood stories of what Haknyeon was like as a kid and although he blushed furiously everytime she spoke of his odd habits as a child, Haknyeon seemed to be having fun. 

Haknyeon’s mother had a child-like excitement in her words when she told a story and she dotingly repeatedly offered you food even after you assured her you were full, eating almost as much as Haknyeon did, but you knew the gesture meant she was caring for you.

That’s when you decided that Haknyeon was a lot like his mother.

“Haknyeon, take her suitcase like a good boy!” Haknyeon’s mother had scolded, watching Haknyeon drag his suitcase to his room. 

“I will when I set these down,” He had affirmed, not arguing with her, however, you knew he would have fought with you if you had tried to take it anyway. 

“Tomorrow, I’ll show you the pigs,” Haknyeon smiled, falling onto the mattress. You were sharing a room with him, but there were two rooms in the bed. Haknyeon had spoken with his mother about the sleeping arrangements without you but you were fine with them considering you guys had done more than share a room. 

“I look forward to it,” You said with toothpaste in your mouth. The bathroom connected to the room was nice because as you got ready for the night, you could also observe Haknyeon when he wasn’t looking, a secret he didn’t need to know about. 

Haknyeon was silent as you spit the toothpaste out and he was also silent when you washed your face and he continued to be silent as you moved the comforter out of the way to get into bed.

“Penny for your thoughts?” You asked, curious. Haknyeon simply shaked his head, a light smile on his face.

“Nickel for yours?” 

Though you turned the lights off before you got into bed, you regretted the decision knowing there was courage in the darkness. 

I’m like 99% sure he’s in love with you.

“Hak,” You called out after a few moments of silence. “What are we?”

“What are we?” Haknyeon had repeated in a whisper. You knew he understood the question so you remained silent, waiting for his response. It was now or never. 

“Well,” Haknyeon clears his throat. “To me, we’re not friends, right?”

You feel your heart drop to your chest when the words escape his lips. 

“You know me better than I know myself. When I’m with you, I feel secure and protected. When I get sad, you’re the first voice I want to hear. When you’re near me, I feel complete but when you leave, I feel my heart begin to break,” Haknyeon was speaking barely over a whisper and his breath was shaky making you feel that maybe, just maybe this was going where you wanted it to.

You were shocked at his words and you racked your brain for a response, not understanding if this was Haknyeon’s way of saying he felt the same way you did. When you heard him get up, you realized that he wasn’t done yet. 

He took his usual spot on the bed, the left side, and immediately reached for you. Though it was dark, the tiny bit of moonlight seeping through the window made it possible for Haknyeon to see the outline of your face. As his hand cupped your face, you closed your eyes, finding warmth in the familiarity that was Haknyeon. 

“I think we’re more than just friends. Soulmates, maybe?” He mumbled, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead before pulling you closer so your head was on his chest. 

You don’t know how you didn’t notice it any other time, but his words were quickly proven true when you felt his heart beating at the same speed as yours. 

“I love you, Haknyeon. More than a friend. More like a soulmate,” You whispered. Although you knew you wouldn’t be able to see his reaction, your eyes were shut tight in fear.

You feel him press another kiss to your face, except this one on the side of your head. “Oh Y/N, I’ve loved you for years. My heart was always yours. In my last life, this life, and the next.”

a/n

“Fuck you, Kevin,” You shout, shoving him aggressively to the side. 

Kevin throws his head back, laughing, “I didn’t know someone could suck so bad at Uno until I met you. Why would you reverse it knowing I only had one card left, after I just played a reverse?”

“I didn’t know you had a reverse! Who keeps a reverse as their last two cards,” You pout, throwing your cards down to cross your arms over your chest. 

Kevin begins to mindlessly shuffle, knowing there were only two minutes left of your last period of the day which did not give the two of you enough time for another round that you would undoubtedly lose. 

“I’m still coming over to study after school, right?” Kevin asks, thumbing through the cards. As if it was a consequence to his question, the bell rings signifying the end of the school day. 

You begin to pack your things which were mostly ready and you couldn’t help but be grateful that your last period was statistics, the biggest blow-off class you could’ve taken. “I think we’re the only weebs who would study for AP biology on a Friday night,” You scoff. 

“Yet somehow I know that we’ll study for thirty minutes before we give up, order take-out, and end up watching My Hero Academia until it’s too late for me to go back to my house.”

Your lips purse in response, knowing Kevin was right. Though you pretended like there was something more entertaining out there for you to do on a Friday night, nothing sounded more right than spending it with your best friend.

You and Kevin exit the school, making your way to your house. It was only a seven minute walk from the school, thus why study sessions and hang outs were frequently at your house. That and your mom was a doctor who often worked night shifts that started before you got home and after you and Kevin fell asleep. 

When you near your house, you reach into your pocket attempting to find the key before you hear a familiar voice. 

“Lemonade! Fresh lemonade!” 

You don’t believe it at first and although you had to squint to make out what was happening, Kevin quickly affirms what seemed to be in front of your eyes.

“Is Hyunjae selling lemonade? Also who’s that little girl next to him? I thought he didn’t have younger siblings?” Kevin turns to face you but you just shrug, not understanding the situation either. 

Everyone knew the basketball players usually scheduled early release, allowing them to leave school early so they had time to do homework before basketball games or- not- in most of their cases, however, you didn’t expect Hyunjae to be with an unknown little girl selling lemonade. 

“Let’s go buy some!” Kevin exclaims, grabbing onto your wrist and dragging you to arrive at the lemonade stand faster. 

You immediately begin to panic, this being the first real interaction you had with Hyunjae since you were a child. “Can’t, I’m allergic,” You quickly say, pulling back so your shoes scraped against the concrete. 

“No you’re not, you love lemonade! Now, grow some balls because I’m thirsty,” Kevin replies, standing behind the woman who was currently conversing with Hyunjae. 

“You know, you shouldn’t say grow some balls, what do balls do? Nothing. You should say grow a pussy, now those things can take a pounding,” You ramble on, your nerves speaking for you. Kevin simply brushes your comments off, however, knowing rambling was another habit you picked up whenever you got nervous. 

When the woman moves out of the way, Kevin immediately jumps into conversation with the little girl standing beside Hyunjae and you watch as the two interact. 

“Hyunjae oppa is helping me raise money to buy a dog! Right, oppa?” She turns to Hyunjae, pulling at his shirt so he would focus his attention on her. For the first time in years, you make eye contact with Hyunjae and even as the little girl tugs on his blue shirt, his gaze lingers on you until he’s quite literally torn away by the girl tugging harder. 

“Yah! Byeol, gentle!” He scolds, taking her hand in his and smoothing away the creases on his shirt with his other hand. 

“So the pretty little girl’s name is Byeol!” Kevin says, ignoring whatever was occurring and turning his attention back to the girl running the lemonade stand. 

‘If only Kevin wasn’t such a sucker for kids,’ You think. However, he was set on his future career since he was 12, a kindergarten teacher, meaning he was in love with practically every kid he came across. 

Byeol blushes in response, moving to hide herself behind Hyunjae. 

“I think she has a crush,” Hyunjae chuckles, patting her hair as she stands behind him in embarrassment. 

“Don’t tell him that! Boys are gross.” Byeol gags from behind Hyunjae and you can’t help but let out a laugh at the disgusted noises that she makes. 

“So she’s capable of more than just silence,” Hyunjae says, smiling at you. Having absolutely no control over your bodily functions, you begin to blush furiously at the mere attention of Hyunjae. 

Kevin seems to notice how uncomfortable you were, quickly changing the topic to understand just how Hyunjae was related to the lemonade stand. 

“Oh,” Hyunjae exclaims, beginning to answer Kevin’s question. Before he speaks, he moves Byeol next to him and covers her ears with his hands, making sure she couldn’t hear anything. “My mom knows her mom and she just volunteered me. I don’t mind though, Byeol is a sweetheart, isn’t that right Byeol?”

Hyunjae removes his hands from Byeol’s ears and ruffles her hair with his now free hands, causing Byeol to giggle. “You’re an angel, right?”

“I wouldn’t doubt it,” Kevin says, smiling. 

As Kevin and Hyunjae talk, speaking mainly of school, you take your time to take in Hyunjae. You hadn’t looked at him for more than a few seconds since he had entered high school, and it would be a lie to say he didn’t age like fine wine. 

He had broad shoulders, a gorgeous smile, and the nicest nose you had seen on any guy to date. He was currently sporting a light blue shirt with tan slacks, something you thought no one would be able to pull off but because it was Hyunjae, it looked good. On game days, the team always had to dress up, and you were never able to take in one of his dressed-up looks, at least not until today and you were definitely sure you were missing out. 

You hear footsteps coming from the sidewalk and you turn your head to the side, looking to see if someone else wanted lemonade, but it was just a lower classman who ignored the stand completely as he made his way to his house. 

“So, we have two flavors: sour and sweet. What are we feeling today?” Hyunjae asks, focusing back on the main reason the two of you were at the stand to begin with. 

Kevin hums as he ponders, gazing at the table. Along with lemonade, the table also had various candies for sale. 

“I think I’ll take one sweet lemonade because of the very sweet Byeol and one Skittles packet,” Kevin says, handing Hyunjae a dollar. You can clearly see Byeol’s cheeks redden as she pours Kevin a lemonade but neither of you say anything. 

“Wait, I just have a dollar,” Kevin pouts, turning to you. “Did you want something?”

You begin to decline until Hyunjae pulls his wallet out of his pocket and places a dollar in the jar. “One sweet and one sour please, Byeol.”

Hyunjae turns to you, a soft smile on his face. 

“Oh, you don’t have to-” You begin to resist, but Hyunjae quickly cuts you off. 

“Nonsense,” He shakes his head before taking the lemonade from Byeol’s hand and handing you one. “It’s only fifty cents.”

“Yeah, it’s really good too,” Kevin says, taking another sip out of his cup. 

Your hand lightly grazes his as he hands you the cup and you would be a fool to not notice the butterflies that erupted in your stomach at the contact. 

“Is this one sweet or sour?” You ask, curious as to which one Hyunjae assumed you would like. 

Hyunjae doesn’t respond and takes the other lemonade from Byeol before downing it. As soon as he sets the cup down, his nose scrunches up at the sharp taste that touches his taste buds. You quickly realize that the sweet lemonade remained in your hands. 

“Life’s been pretty sour without you, want to make it sweet?” Hyunjae says, laughing. He nods his head down to your cup and you can’t help but laugh as well, the cheesy dialogue not being something you expected from Hyunjae. 

“I think they like each other,” You hear Byeol loudly whisper to Kevin who was nowhere near close enough for her to whisper to. 

“I think so too,” Kevin replies.

The three of them watch as you make a decision on rekindling the friendship you once had with Hyunjae, realizing that maybe even after all these years, he was still the same Hyunjae who would intentionally step on a lego if you had stepped on one so you wouldn’t be alone.